Hillary Clinton on The One Woman Who Inspires Her to Dare

In 1927, Hillary Clinton's mother was sent away to endure a "bleak" and motherless childhood at just 8 years old. Here, nearly 90 years later, the Democratic Presidential candidate reflects back on the hardships her mother saw, and how, in spite of this, she grew up to be "so loving"—a mother who raised her daughter to believe she could be anything she dreamed of, even President of the United States. Along the way, Clinton has inspired countless women around the world to dare to do the impossible, encouraging young visionaries to break—not just push—boundaries. The new generation of #WomenWhoDare are those who, like Clinton, refuse to conform.

Over the years, I've met more than my fair share of "women who dare"—trailblazers, activists, and leaders from all walks of life, each making her own special mark on the world. But the most inspiring woman I've ever known had a quieter kind of courage. My mother's name was Dorothy, and she was my rock from the day I was born until the day she left us. She knew what it was like to get knocked down, but again and again, she got back up and kept going.

My mother's childhood was bleak. Her early years were spent in Chicago, until one day, her parents packed her and her sister up, put them on a train, and sent them to California to live with grandparents who didn't want them. I think a lot about her making that long train journey—just 8 years old, holding her 3-year-old sister by the hand, the two of them completely on their own. Things were bad in California, and by 14, my mom was out of her grandparents' house and on her own, working as a maid. I think a lot about that too.

"My mother raised her daughter to believe she could be anything she dreamed of, even President of the United States." — Hillary Clinton

Growing up, I didn't know any of this. She was just… my mother—warm, loving, someone my brothers and I ran straight to whenever we needed advice or encouragement or just a hug. She and I were a team. She believed in me. And she made everything she touched better. I remember one stressful night when she salvaged my disastrous attempt to make a skirt in home economics. Somehow even that was fun, because of her.

When I was old enough to understand her upbringing, I couldn't quite wrap my head around it. I couldn't imagine life without my mom—how in the world did she grow up without a wonderful parent of her own? And how did she turn out to be so loving, when she received so little love as a little girl?

Finally, I asked what kept her going during those hard early years. Here's what she told me: along the way, people stepped up and sustained her with acts of kindness.

There was the first grade teacher who noticed that my mother had nothing to eat at lunch. So she started bringing extra food to share, taking care not to embarrass her. She'd say: "You know, Dorothy, I brought too much food. Would you like this sandwich?" It wasn't until my mother was much older that she realized that teacher fed her for an entire year.

Then, when my mother was a teenager, the woman whose house she cleaned saw how badly she wanted to go to high school. She told my mother that she was smart and capable, and made her a deal: if my mother got up early and got her chores done, she could go to school. Mom leapt at that offer. It was the first time anyone ever told her she had something of value to offer the world. And it was the first time she saw what a loving household with kind and supportive parents looked like.

Because those people believed in her, she believed in herself… and later, in me. She taught me that everyone deserves a chance in life, and everyone deserves a champion. And she believed with all her heart that there's no higher calling in life than serving others.

That message keeps me going. As long as I can remember, it's been my passion to help children live up to their God-given potential. People often ask me what sparked that passion. The simple answer is my mother.

When I met a little girl in Nevada terrified that her parents are going to be deported… or a little boy in Flint, Michigan, who can't drink the water at home or school because it's poisoned with lead… it got me right in the gut. Because I can easily imagine little Dorothy Howell in that exact situation—on her own, vulnerable, but so determined to be brave. All I want to do is make things better for kids like her, who feel like they're all alone in the world.

Campaigns don't leave much time for reflection. It's tough to find time to grab a quick meal, let alone sit with your thoughts. But more and more, in the quiet moments backstage or at the end of a long day, I find myself thinking about my mother.

I think about all the hardship she saw in her life—and all the progress. She came into the world at a time when women's options were narrow. But on the day—the exact day—she was born, Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, putting women on the path to voting. And then my mother grew up and raised her daughter to believe she could be anything she dreamed of, even President of the United States.

I wish she could be here to witness this important moment for our country. I wish she could see what a wonderful mother Chelsea has become—nothing would have made her prouder. And I wish she could be here to meet her two great-grandchildren, and look into their eyes, and imagine all the progress that's possible within their lifetimes, if we dare to reach for it.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Harper's BAZAAR participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.